1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a trailer which is towed behind an automobile, truck or the like. More particularly, this invention relates to a trailer which has a modular interior such that a variety of components may be interchangeably mounted to accommodate a variety of accessories and to provide storage for a number of particular items.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A wide variety of general purpose and particularly designed trailers have been utilized for the storage and transportation of various objects. In general, it is usually necessary to trade-off flexibility of use in such a trailer if one is intending to store and transport particularly-shaped objects. Conversely, if one needs flexibility in the particular uses to which a trailer will be applied, then the most common design for such a trailer is a large empty box. This is the most common configuration for utility trailers and provides a universal application.
In the event, however, that one requires a trailer for the transportation of small or breakable objects, or objects that do not transport well without restraint, then an empty trailer must be packed with care and generally filled to prevent loss of load during the transportation operation. Even a relatively small amount of shifting may result in damage or destruction of the trailer itself during transportation. As a final note, a particularized danger encountered during the shifting of a load during a trailering operation is the loss of stability of the moving trailer and possible damage to other vehicles on a highway or the like.
It is therefore necessary in the selection of a trailer for the transportation of objects that the trailer be well adapted to the transportation of the particular objects intended to be moved. In the event that a large number of small items are to be transported, a trailer having a large number of compartments would be the most satisfactory. This permits easy ingress and egress from the trailer as well as simple location of the objects contained therein. In the previous example, that is of the large empty trailer, it is frequently impossible to retrieve a large percentage of the stored or transported objects without removal of the entire load. This lack of flexibility also causes a lack of utility when the transported objects must be repetitively moved on to and off of the trailer.
In the situation involving a trailer having a large number of particularized compartments, or any particularized compartments for that matter, flexibility is lessened and the storage capacity of the trailer is limited to the particularly sized compartments. Should the needs of the operator change from time to time, the trailer may become completely useless depending upon the nature of the goods intended to be transported.
A number of trailers have been proposed in the prior art which provide varying levels of flexibility in order to achieve a balance between particularized storage and universal flexibility. Examples of these are Bunting et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,647, issued Jan. 20, 1987, for a trailer having particularized compartments for the storage and transportation of field decoys. This device, however, utilizes a number of particularly sized and shaped compartments having particularized mounting means for the restraint of field decoys. While this is particularly useful for the transport of field decoys and other small articles, the flexibility of the device is severely limited.
Laursen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,631, issued Aug. 8, 1989, discloses the use of particularized compartments within a general purpose trailer for the storage of particular devices such as small motorized recreational vehicles. This device combines the features of particularized stored spaces with a general purpose vehicle, but lacks the ability to change its features when the needs of the operator have changed.
Toomey, U.S. Pat. No. 3,705,743, issued Dec. 12, 1972, is a further illustration of this situation, in which a trailer is provided with a number of particularly sized and shaped interior compartments for the storage and restraint of particular items.
Grabast, U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,980, issued Nov. 5, 1974, provides an increased amount of flexibility, having a large open interior space for the storage of large items and also having a number of small, foldable accessories and a number of smaller storage compartments along the periphery thereof.
Each of these devices has attempted to provide a particularized storage space for specific items or attempted to combine such particularized storage with additional open space for the transportation of larger items or to provide flexibility in storage capacity.
What is lacking in the art, however, is a device which provides flexible storage space which may be utilized for specialized or smaller items and alternatively may utilize the same interior space for the storage of larger items within a compact trailer capable of being pulled by a passenger automobile.